In praise of Owen Paterson and the Tory/UUP deal

Whilst Tony Blair-style Northern Ireland clichés about "the hand of history" are probably best avoided, it certainly marks the beginning of a new chapter in Northern Ireland politics and is another step on the road to "normalising" politics in the province.

And it must not be underestimated how much credit is due to Owen Paterson, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, for bringing this deal about.

It was over a year ago that he quietly began putting feelers out to like-minded individuals in the UUP about seriously bringing the parties closer together again. He then met UUP leader Sir Reg Empey at the beginning of this year, after which a secret working group was established to discuss the matter further.

Amazingly, this close-knit group managed to keep their negotiations secret and out of the media until deciding to float their ideas in public in July.

Throughout the process Owen has been assiduously visiting Northern Ireland every week, often spending two days a week there during recesses. His commitment to what is often regarded as a minor shadow cabinet post has been total.

Praise is also due to David Cameron for being willing to stick his neck out and commit to the project and to Neil Johnston, the area chairman of the Northern Ireland Conservatives (and one-time Tory agent in Battersea) for his role in bringing about the agreement. And then there are others who have long cherished this development such as Jonathan Caine, for many years the Conservative Party's guru on Northern Ireland affairs, who has worked behind the scenes for over a decade to bring the parties closer together.

They have all been driven in this project by the noble and
passionate desire to give the people of Northern Ireland the chance to
vote for and be represented by a new non-sectarian political force
which has UK-wide political clout.

With the constitutional position of Northern Ireland in the United
Kingdom now settled, its people are long overdue the chance to
participate in the kind of politics with which the rest of us are
familiar: where their representatives are elected on a manifesto
dominated by their everyday concerns and who then play a full role in
the governance of the nation at Westminster.

I understand that over the coming months leading Conservative MPs
will be making more regular visits across the Irish Sea to show the
party's commitment to the project. Iain Duncan Smith will be visiting
some of Belfast's deprived estates next month and Dominic Grieve will
be over in January. David Cameron may even put in an appearance at the
Ulster Unionist conference in December as well.

Whilst there are still some issues to be cleared up, for example
over the precise wording of the banner under which candidates will
stand, this must not detract from what is a very exciting political
development.

People who previously felt disenfranchised will now have the chance
to vote for MPs who will take the Conservative whip, have the full
rights and responsibilities of every other Conservative MP and be able
to aspire to sitting in a cabinet alongside colleagues from England,
Scotland and Wales.

So today we pay tribute to Owen and all of those who have worked to bring this about.

Have the concerns of John Strafford of COPOV, and Hon Pres of South Belfast Conservatives, been dealt with.

On 31st August he wrote

"Disturbing stories are emerging about the talks with the Ulster Unionists. A working party met this week. I hear that it is proposed that a Grand Committee will choose the candidates for the General Election. There will be three Conservative and two Ulster Unionist candidates. A Catholic will be chosen for South Belfast. If this is correct it will be a disgrace. Religion should not be involved in the selection of candidates, and what about the grass roots members. Any selection process which does not give them the final say should be totally condemned.

Incidentally as the Hon. President of the South Belfast Conservative Association I would be particularly offended if this is all true.

PS I gather that there is no way Ulster Unionist MP Sylvia Hermon will take the Conservative Whip. Not surprising since she has voted with the government 95% of the time she has been in the House of Commons."

Wearside Tory, The UUP vote may not make a huge difference one way or another to the fate of the Conservative Party but it does mean that the like-minded voters of Ulster will at last have a chance to join the mainstream of British politicswhile retaining their identity. This has to be a welcome step forwards for a truly United Kingdom.

UUP | November 21, 2008 at 14:01
I would be most surprised if Owen Paterson actually did behave in the way you suggest. He is highly respected for his hardwork and patience but he doesn't avoid saying what needs to be said either. Personally think that straight talking honesty is a scarce talent requiring clear thinking and courage.

Well done Jonathan Isaby for highlighting this success and sign of hope for the future.

Re Conservative Democrat my concerns have not been met, but I am content to see how the Joint Committee proceeds. If the Joint Committee appoints the candidates that would be wrong. Candidates should be elected by Party members.
Will Sylvia Hermon take the Conservative Whip? The statement does not say.
Will there be other candidates for the European elections? Who will choose?
I suspect there is still a long way to go before everything is finalised.

Conservative Democrat: John's fears are unfounded. The 3 Con 2 UU thing I dont understand and the idea that we would chose candidates on anything other than merit is contrary to Tory principles.
Anyone selected will be there to be a fully paid up member of David Cameron's team

With regard to Sylvia, Lady Hermon her voting record is more 'diverse' than you might think.
To those who say it will not bring more MPs I obviously hope we will prove you wrong, however, this is about more than seats it is about being able to particpate in national politcs

UUP who ever you are, you most certainly are not a political party. I rebutt your comments about Owen Paterson. I was at the very first meeting between four members of the NI Conservatives with Owen Paterson and Neil Johnston representing their party and Johnny Andrews, Bill McKendry, Jim Dillon and myself all UUP officials in one form or other. This was an exploratory meeting between forward looking Unionists and the two most appropriate Conservatives. This meeting took place on the 15th of October 2007 and was the precursor to many more. At the UUP conference on the 27th of October 2007 I made a speech which suggested our party returning to the Conservative and Unionist Fold. This is available if requested. At all times both Owen Paterson and Neil Johnston were completely involved and Owen was available to myself and all other UUP members involved at all times through out the entire process.I would suggest that no other previous Conservative NI Secretary or Shadow Secretary has put in so much effort into securing nationwide Tory political representation in all four constituent parts of the UK ; although Angus Mackay did in all fairness support the NI Tories. This shift of the tectonic plates of Northern Ireland politics is down, particularly from the Tory point of view, to Owen. I am not concerned in this comment on the great debt we all owe to all the other participants; but suffice to say that the talks were kept in such confidence and all concerned kept in the loop that I would consider your poster to be totally ignorant of the facts of the matter. Furthermore Owen was extremly urbane and helpful throughout the process. I fear that, and have experienced it myself, that English honesty,openess and being totally frank can easily be misconstrued and thus occasionally cause unintended offence to some people here.

John K Lund | November 21, 2008 at 21:59
Thank you for this posting - it is a far better reflection of Owen Paterson's quiet, clear and intelligent way of working. It is precisely because he is so effective that detractors will seek to publish rubbish about him and undermine his work.

Thank goodness we now have the possibility that residents of Norther Ireland can join the mainstream of British politics.

Most kind of you- Eveleigh Moore-Dutton. The two participants in this joint venture need to now work and pull together and hopefully for the individual members to learn to communicate together and rationally sort out differing opinions on history and LOOK TO THE FUTURE as I know that both parties are truly capable of. This is now about bonding and WINNING ELECTIONS with good energetic and altruistic candidates. Politics are a vocation for "Righteously Enraged People" not self aggrandising control freaks whose sole purpose is self promotion and enrichment.

I rather expect the SDLP and UUP to be wiped out in the Westminster Parliament - probably with the DUP getting 13 seats, the UUP will probably never recover, the DUP have supplanted them as the future of Unionism in Ulster.

YAA I don't know how accurate your prediction is likely to be but I do hope that by opening the door to Northern Ireland's Conservative leaning voters the door is opened to their future involvement( and influence) in mainstream British politics. The more we behave like a United Kingdom with common interests and a common future the better. I am just grateful that this step forward has taken place.

YAA.
Yet another DUP concerned voter. They are beside themselves that they are perceived as too exclusive for secular politics. They only attend Westminster alongside their up to three other jobs. How can they spread themselves over three apiece and possibly a Ministry(That's political not Non Comformist) and sit on various other boards, They simply cannot and furthermore it is a total abuse of taxpayers funds. Iris Robinson along with Maurice Morrow are in my opinion total potential electoral disaster areas. The People of Northern Ireland have seen through this charade and will watch whilst the TUV splits the DUP down the middle.